Data centers: sector sees bottlenecks and pressure for more infrastructure

With the advancement of artificial intelligence and the demand for data centers constantly growing, the industry is looking for ways to take advantage of the potential of this market in Brazil

During the 2026 International Meeting of the Construction Industry, sector representatives warned of the need for regulatory advances before investments migrate abroad.

Currently, Brazil is the main hub for data centers in Latin America with investments in data centers, with R$30 billion in announced investments, with annual growth of 40%, according to Gustavo Pazelli, director of LZA Engenharia e Gestão.

However, the geographic issue is still an internal challenge.

According to Tiago Rossi, Business Development superintendent at Racional Engenharia, the experience of implementing projects, which, from small rooms, became complexes with servers capable of consuming energy annually from a city with more than 300 thousand inhabitants.

Despite being abundant, enough energy in the country to supply a data center is only technically available in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul, in addition to good opportunities in regions of the northeast.

In addition, bureaucracy in importing the necessary equipment is another obstacle faced, which can delay and make projects more expensive, or even make them unfeasible.

"You have to be open to being able to deal in a multicultural environment, with different areas and different vendors from different regions of the world. So, you have to have this professional who has the expertise to understand that technology advances and understand how it works", said Rossi.

In relation to regulation, as well as the fundamental inputs for the operation of data centers, the Financial Vice President of CBIC, who will assume the presidency of the entity in July, stated that the points have already been discussed with President Lula.

"We brought to him the need to regulate water, energy and the fire department itself. We are talking not only about companies, but also about fundamental conditions for the population's quality of life."

Still regarding the adequacy of public and private interests, time is another factor that works against it, as there is pressure due to the urgency of demand and the speed of technological advances.

According to Luis Cuevas, director of Secure Power and Data Center Business at Schneider Electric in Brazil, for every dollar invested in the installation, eight dollars are invested in equipment, which needs to be renewed every five years.

For Cuevas, "what doesn't happen here will happen in another country."

Source: CNN